Who is responsible for your data?
The Energy Beehive app is operated within research projects coordinated by Utrecht University (UU).
The technical development of the app and backend was carried out in collaboration with the app development company IJsfontein. The backend infrastructure is hosted on secure servers managed by Utrecht University (Faculty of Geosciences).
Utrecht University acts as the data controller for the processing of personal data within the app.
What personal data do we process?
We only process personal data that are necessary for the app to function properly. Depending on how you use the app, this may include:
Account data
Such as a user ID and login information (e.g. email address), used to create and manage your account.
Household and participation data
Information needed to link gameplay and feedback to your household context, without storing precise address details.
Energy-related data
Including electricity consumption data (from smart meters), electricity price data, CO₂ emission factors, and solar power production data. These data are used to generate feedback, missions, and visualisations in the app.
App usage data
Such as completed missions, in-app interactions, and progress indicators.
Technical data
Limited technical information (e.g. device type or app version) required to ensure the app works securely and reliably.
We do not process special categories of personal data (such as health or biometric data).
Where do the data come from?
Your data may come from:
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You directly, when you register, use the app, and interact with its features.
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Smart meter infrastructure, via authorised data access (e.g. through EDSN).
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External public or reference sources, such as electricity market prices or CO₂ emission factors.
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Data generated through gameplay (e.g. progress or derived indicators).
Why do we process your data?
Your data are processed to:
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Enable the core functionality of the Energy Beehive app
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Provide personalised feedback and missions
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Support collective challenges and visualisations
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Improve understanding of energy use and flexibility
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Evaluate and improve the app within research projects
Your data are not used for advertising, commercial profiling, or automated decision-making with legal or similarly significant effects.
How do we protect your data?
We apply technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including:
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Use of pseudonymous identifiers
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Separation of identification data from gameplay and energy data
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Secure servers and encrypted communication
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Restricted, role-based access for authorised personnel only
We follow the principle of data minimisation: only the data necessary for the app’s purposes are processed.
Who has access to your data?
Access to personal data is limited to:
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You, via the app interface
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Researchers, who work with pseudonymised or aggregated data
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System administrators, only for maintenance and security purposes
Your data are not shared with third parties for commercial purposes.
How long are your data stored?
During your participation
We store your personal data for as long as you actively use the app and participate in the project.
After participation ends
After your participation ends, your personal data are retained for a limited evaluation period to allow the research team to complete analyses and evaluate the outcomes of the project.
Smart meter energy data (time coverage for research)
For research purposes, we also collect electricity consumption data from your smart meter for a period of up to 13 months prior to your registration in the app. This is needed to establish a baseline of your household’s energy use and to study whether and how behavior changes as a result of using the app.
In addition, we may continue to process your electricity consumption data for up to 18 months after your registration. This allows us to evaluate the longer-term effects of the app and to analyze how household energy use develops after the active intervention period has ended.
Deletion or anonymisation
After this evaluation period, personal data that can directly or indirectly identify you are deleted or anonymised in accordance with project policies and legal requirements. Fully anonymised data may be retained for longer for scientific and reproducibility purposes.
Your rights
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to:
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Access your personal data
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Correct inaccurate data
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Request deletion of your data
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Withdraw your consent at any time
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Object to certain types of processing
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Lodge a complaint with the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens)
Information on how to exercise these rights is provided in the app and via the contact details below.
Contact
If you have questions about this privacy information or about how your data are processed, you can contact us:
Email: energybeehive.support@uu.nl
If you prefer to contact the Privacy Officer of the Faculty of Geosciences directly, you can do so via:
Email: privacy-geo@uu.nl
For more information about how Utrecht University handles personal data, please refer to the Utrecht University privacy statements: